Sharh al-Musayarah wa-Ma'ahu al-Musayarah fi al-'Aqaid al-Munjiyyah min al-Akhirah شرح المسايرة ومعه المسايرة في العقائد المنجية من الآخرة

Sharḥ al-Musāyarah and its foundational text Al-Musāyarah fī al-ʿAqāʾid al-Munjiyah fī al-Ākhirah are among the most important works of Sunni Islamic theology (ʿIlm al-Kalām), representing the rich intellectual tradition of the Ḥanafī-Māturīdī school while engaging deeply with the theological formulations of the Shāfiʿī-Ashʿarī tradition.

Al-Musāyarah was authored by the renowned Imam Kamāl al-Dīn Ibn al-Humām (d. 861 AH / 1457 CE), the celebrated Ḥanafī jurist, theologian, and author of the famous commentary Fatḥ al-Qadīr on al-Hidāyah. The title, meaning “The Companion Regarding the Creed that Saves in the Hereafter,” reflects Ibn al-Humām’s objective of presenting a comprehensive and evidence-based Sunni creed. Inspired by the structure and approach of Imam al-Ghazālī’s Al-Iqtiṣād fī al-Iʿtiqād, he sought to present the theological positions of the Ḥanafī-Māturīdī tradition in dialogue with broader Sunni scholarship.

The work discusses the fundamental questions of Islamic belief, including the Divine Essence and Attributes, Prophethood, Predestination (Qadar), and the transmitted matters of faith (Samʿiyyāt). Through a combination of rational proofs and scriptural evidence, Ibn al-Humām presents a refined synthesis of classical Sunni theology.

Sharḥ al-Musāyarah was authored by Ibn al-Humām’s distinguished student, Imam Zayn al-Dīn Qāsim ibn Qaṭlūbughā al-Ḥanafī (d. 879 AH / 1474 CE), one of the greatest scholars of the ninth century AH. A master of Hadith criticism, jurisprudence, legal theory, and theology, Ibn Qaṭlūbughā enriched his teacher’s text by clarifying its concise theological discussions, explaining complex arguments, providing relevant Hadith evidence, and highlighting important legal and creedal nuances.

The combined work holds a unique position in Islamic scholarship due to its synthesis of Māturīdī and Ashʿarī theological perspectives, representing the shared foundations of Sunni orthodoxy while preserving the distinctive methodologies of each tradition. Its strong reliance on Hadith evidence, combined with rational theological analysis, distinguishes it among classical works of Kalām.

For centuries, Sharḥ al-Musāyarah served as an advanced textbook in traditional Islamic seminaries throughout the Ottoman lands, Egypt, and the Levant. This work remains an invaluable resource for students, scholars, and researchers of Sunni theology, Māturīdī thought, Ashʿarī theology, and the history of Islamic intellectual traditions.